Unlock the secret to simpler home cleaning

The longer you put off cleaning, the harder it gets. Make a cleaning schedule to help ensure your house stays tidy throughout the whole year.

After a long day at work, it's hard to find the energy to clean the house. Try this fool-proof schedule to help.

Schedule a few simple cleaning tasks in the morning and evening. Choose tasks you can easily complete in 10 or 15 minutes. Examples are starting a load of laundry, cleaning a toilet, removing trash, cleaning counter tops, dusting one room, placing breakfast dishes in the dishwasher or making your bed.

Turn longer tasks into two parts. Complete the first part in the morning and the second in the evening. For example, pick up stray books and toys from the living room floor in the morning and vacuum the living room after dinner. Write the tasks each family member needs to accomplish on a daily basis on your family calendar or a white board. Add reminders to your online calendars if you're afraid you might overlook a printed schedule.

Make sure your calendar includes space to schedule weekly cleaning tasks. These might include washing floors, cleaning bathrooms and changing sheets. Since weekly tasks usually require a more significant time commitment, it's usually a good idea to schedule them for a weekend or another day when you have several free hours.

Your monthly cleaning schedule will vary depending upon the time of year. In the winter, you might add a monthly fireplace cleaning to your schedule. If your furnace tends to stir up dust when it turns on, it might be a good idea to work in a deep cleaning during the winter months. Additions to your summer cleaning schedule may include cleaning carpets, washing porch furniture and cleaning grills. You may want to add other tasks to your list such as cleaning baseboards and trim. Deep cleaning the oven and vacuuming dust from refrigerator coils, ceiling fans and blinds are also good monthly cleaning goals.

Schedule big jobs on a yearly basis. These include cleaning the attic, basement or garage; washing every window in the house; and organizing closets. Although it's unlikely you'll forget about cleaning the basement, you might not remember when you last scrubbed the floor if you don't note the date on your schedule.

Daily, weekly, monthly and yearly cleaning schedules can help you run your home more efficiently. When you schedule tasks every day, rather than trying to complete a week's worth of cleaning during a few hours on Saturday, you'll feel less overwhelmed and will have more time to enjoy with your family.